From Smoke Signals to 3G

Although many in the industry consider wireless communications to be about 20 years old, historians date it back about 200 years.

“Wireless must not be understood only to be electronic,” said Nance Briscoe, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History specialist for the division of information technology and society (americanhistory.si.edu). “In a museum environment, in order for us to collect wireless communication, we have to look back to smoke signals.”

The Smithsonian has tracked, collected and exhibited the history of wireless communications for years, from ancient signaling to World War II walkie-talkies to modern cellular and PCS phones. Artifacts include ham radios, satellite phones and messaging systems.

“We're collecting all the time,” said Bernard Finn, curator of the electrical collection at the museum.

This summer, the museum selected Motorola's (www.motorola.com) PageWriter 2000 for its permanent collection. Introduced just five years ago, the PageWriter was one of the first 2-way wireless messaging devices. Although the Motorola device isn't old, Finn said it still has significance.

“We're a history museum,” Finn said, “but history comes up to yesterday.”

Briscoe agreed, saying, “When you try to keep up with the latest and greatest, you're not looking at it as a historical venue,” she said. “You're looking at it as collecting the future, and that's what's fun. Collecting the future is critical. We have to remember that historical doesn't mean it has to be old, dusty, antiquated and on ‘Antiques Roadshow.’”

Allan Spiro, Motorola wireless messaging division marketing manager, said when the Smithsonian called, much discussion centered on how the world is being shaped by wireless technology.

“They recognize the fact that the world has become much more mobile,” Spiro said. “This is the way people like communicating these days.”

Briscoe said specific artifacts such as the PageWriter help fill missing links in technology's continuing story.

“All of these things are developments in telephony that we need to collect and keep up with,” she said.

People often aren't aware of the small steps that lead to an important innovation, Briscoe said. Although no one has the resources to collect every step or object, the story of wireless, from smoke signals to 3G and beyond, still can be told.